Attacks spark protest of bullying

[The Straight Story]

Attacks spark protest of bullying
Online petition gains steam after assaults in Chillicothe, Westerville


Video footage of a 15-year-old Ross County boy being beaten by a fellow high-school student has sparked an outpouring of support for the victim and fresh calls to protect gay kids from bullying.

“A lot of people feel the outrage but don’t always know how to make their voices heard,” said Bret Thompson, a Columbus man leading an online petition drive in the wake of the Oct. 17 attack.

Meanwhile, a second bullying incident — this time in a Westerville school — also is being called an anti-gay attack. In that case, the victim isn’t gay but reportedly has a sister who is a lesbian.

As of today, more than 6,000 people had joined a campaign on Change.org to urge the Union-Scioto school district in Ross County to change its anti-bullying policy to address sexual orientation and gender identity. The current policy says harassment is not allowed for any reason.

...

Equality Ohio also issued a news release late yesterday concerning the Westerville situation, saying a male freshman at Westerville South High School was attacked on Tuesday by another student who punched him repeatedly in the head, using a slur about sexual orientation. Equality Ohio said the victim’s sister is a lesbian. The injured student was taken by his family to the hospital.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/11/02/attacks-spark-protests-of-bullying.html